Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
The other day Macomb County Republican Party chairman James Carabelli had told her directly that they were going to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the poll in that county. Now he is frantically trying to cover up the fact that he revealed the truth by claiming that our reporter, Eartha Melzer, made up the quote. They put out a press release saying that she had fabricated the whole thing.
The fact that it was a press release is important to note. They didn't contact us to challenge it, they didn't send a formal letter to us demanding a retraction, they did it in a press release. Why is this important? Because the formal letter would be the first step of a lawsuit. And you know why they won't be filing a lawsuit? Because they know damn well that discovery would prove that they are lying.
If they file a lawsuit, then that opens up all the emails and memos to discovery. And those emails and memos, I guarantee you, will show that what Eartha reported is 100% accurate, that they have, in fact, been planning to use foreclosure lists and voter caging to deny people the right to vote. The fact that they won't file a lawsuit speaks volumes about who is telling the truth.
I'll gladly go to bat for Eartha Melzer. She is an award-winning reporter with a track record of excellence and integrity. There is no way in hell that she would ever fabricate a quote for a story. The only thing going on here is the Michigan GOP panicking about one of their county chairman having slipped and told the truth. The good news, though, is that now the Macomb county clerk has been alerted to the plan and has issued a statement saying that foreclosure lists cannot be used to challenge a voter's address. So, plan foiled.
Politics
Comments
I would hope all journalists would record any verbal dialogue they have for a story as a matter of optimal process and to defend themselves against charges. Is this a standard process and if not, why not?
Posted by: Michael Heath | September 13, 2008 10:20 AM
I find it highly ironic that Republicans would be trying to use foreclosure lists to prevent some people from voting, since the Republican failed economic polices are largely responsible for the situation in the first place.
Posted by: mathyoo | September 13, 2008 10:56 AM
Mathyoo, it really doesn't matter whose fault the foreclosure rates are. Since it's usually the democratic voters who are in foreclosure, it's a net profit for the repubs. At least that's the message as I see it.
Besides, since when did rovian politics/politicians take reality, compassion, or fairness into account?
Posted by: Blaidd Drwg | September 13, 2008 11:24 AM
Ed - when I see "award-winning" I roll my eyes and my bullshit meter hits red. I am curious what "awards" and what else has she written. When I do a quick google search all I get is that she is on the thank you list of Fahrenheit 9/11 and some articles from the Washington Blade. Neither a model of balanced reporting.
I have no issue buying that the GOP (or the DFL) would pull a stunt like this - mater of fact I expect it - but based on what I found - its also plausible she could be making the whole thing up to because I can find little in her past reporting to give her credibility.
/playing devils advocate here
Posted by: yoshi | September 13, 2008 11:49 AM
Ignorant legal question: If they are saying she lied, could they not be sued and forced into discovery?
Posted by: jpf | September 13, 2008 12:00 PM
yoshi-
Her incredible work on the Sovereign Deed situation last year won her recognition from the National Press Club for political journalism and it was well deserved. There's no way in hell she would ever fabricate a quote for an article.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 13, 2008 12:10 PM
Michael Heath wrote:
Because in Michigan you have to have permission of both parties to record a conversation.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 13, 2008 12:20 PM
I'm with jpf...it seems that the GOP's press release damages the reputation and business of the Michigan Messenger. Can the Michigan Messenger sue them for slander/libel/defamation?
Posted by: Shygetz | September 13, 2008 12:48 PM
Typical GOP tactics. Smear, threaten, then if all else fails sue, hoping to tie the case up (with a gag order, if they get their way) until after the votes are miscounted.
Posted by: democommie | September 13, 2008 3:33 PM
Ed:
I've been told that this is also the GOP's strategy in certain, darker, Ohio counties (where, coincidentally, the foreclosure rate is off the charts). Have you heard anything like that?
Posted by: democommie | September 13, 2008 3:36 PM
"Since it's usually the democratic voters who are in foreclosure, it's a net profit for the repubs. At least that's the message as I see it."
While I don't know the demographics of those in foreclosure, perhaps the Republicans fear that those losing their homes are less apt to vote for those who aided and abetted this fiasco?
Posted by: trog69 | September 13, 2008 4:20 PM
I'm not sure what the laws in Michigan are, but in Ohio, it is the voter's responsibility to keep their registration information up-to-date, not the county's.
I live in Franklin County, and according to the Board of Elections, some 27,000 voters in the Columbus area filed change-of-address forms this year but failed to update their voter registration.
If these people go to the polls in November and are challenged, I honestly have little sympathy for them.
Posted by: JustAnotherBlogger | September 13, 2008 5:39 PM
"Voter caging" - should I take my lock-picking tools with me when I go to vote?
Posted by: Herod the Freemason | September 13, 2008 6:04 PM
Given the GOPs track record of aggressively deceiving and disenfranchising likely Democratic voters, I honestly believe the Democrats would be better served by running an extensive education campaign about voters rights than they would with a standard campaign.
Posted by: Gordon S | September 13, 2008 6:38 PM
I understand that Obama has some lawyers in the field to watch these kinds of shenanigans. So it might be a bit more difficult for Republicans to work under the radar. And,JustAnotherBlogger, I don't know about the law in Ohio, but in Colorado all you had to do to show residency was to bring a bill addressed to you at your address. Republicans always try to make people go beyond what the law requires - ask for driver's license or such - but Election Commission in Colorado was adamant that a bill from your utility or phone company was good enough.
Posted by: BC | September 13, 2008 8:22 PM
In Michigan, if you lose your home within 2 months of the election you can use your last registered address. Even the homeless get to vote. And it's hardly a surprise that someone who has just had their home foreclosed upon would overlook going to the secretary of state's office to change the address on their voter registration. In the midst of the physical and emotional turmoil of losing your house, finding a new place to live, maybe having to move schools with the kids and so forth, that isn't exactly the first thing on one's mind. People shouldn't be denied their right to vote for that reason. If they're registered to vote, they should be allowed to vote.
Posted by: Ed Brayton | September 13, 2008 9:01 PM
Ed:
IIRC the GOP was in a shitizzy over the idea of allowing people to register to vote at Post Office and other places that would be convenient.
Posted by: democommie | September 13, 2008 10:32 PM
democommie -
They hate Oregon, especially Portland, where you can hardly walk a block, without someone trying to get you to register. Either because they are out just doing registrations, or because they want you to sign a petition.
You can also register at the DMV, the library, city hall - pretty much any public/government interface. There are also a lot of businesses that get enthusiastic about registering people during election seasons (which is pretty much all the time in Oregon - ballot initiative capital of the U.S.)
Posted by: DuWayne | September 13, 2008 10:37 PM
Re DuWayne
There are also a lot of businesses that get enthusiastic about registering people during election seasons (which is pretty much all the time in Oregon - ballot initiative capital of the U.S.)
And here I thought that California was the ballot initiative capital of the world.
Posted by: SLC | September 14, 2008 8:35 AM
SLC is right. Having lived in both California and Oregon, I have to give the nod for initative capital to the Golden State. But on a per-person basis, Oregon may actually nudge ahead of Cali. God knows they do their best.
Posted by: James Hanley | September 14, 2008 12:30 PM
We do, we do! Oregonians are just nuts about it. I know people who voted for the death with dignity act the second time around, not because they supported it, but because it passed the first time and they were pissed that wasn't the end. The same folks aren't keen on the medical marijuana, but they get really irritated when the feds try to fuck with it. They happily support the notion that our state and local police don't cooperate with the DEA or other federal law enforcement in going after the weed. They also felt the same way about the AG going after our death with dignity act. Though that is not to say that there aren't some of us who are all about ridding Oregon of these eviles any way possible.
We love ballot initiatives and we hate it when folks interfere with our decisions. And we love beer - yeah, really good beer - So take that Cali!
Posted by: DuWayne | September 14, 2008 2:09 PM
Michael Heath--
As a working reporter there are several reasons we don't automatically tape stuff.
First, as Ed said, recording laws state to state differ, and if I am on the phone with a guy from out of state, even if my own state allows me to record the call, I don't know what the result will be if a lawsuit gets filed. Whose jurisdiction? Which laws?
Second, you end up spending a lot of time transcribing tape. It's pretty useless as it turns out. It all has to do with the way you process information. When I tape stuff I find I listen less carefully because I get hung up on making sure the thing is working and all that. Sometimes it isn't what the words are but what someone says.
The two are rather different. Anyway, the point is the only time I tape stuff is when I work in one of the two foreign languages I am familiar enough with because then it's harder to make sure I understood, and I like to check back.
Third, 90% of the time a direct quote in an article is gravy. That is, I use them to make a point clearer or give a sense of what the interviewee is like when they say what they are thinking, and make it less boring for the reader. It's actually pretty rare you get quotes that are that compelling anyway, because honestly, most people aren't Thomas Pynchon or Tom Wolfe.
So, usually, if you can remember a quote at all, it was important enough that you took it down, and you will get it right 95% of the time.
That's why most print reporters are pencil/pen and paper people. Obviously it's different for people in radio and TV.
As a reporter you have to make all kinds of decisions very quickly. I don't tape anymore because on days when I had about 2 hours to file a story I didn't have time to run through a half-hour taped interview. A lot of people seem to assume reporters have an infinite amount of time, perfect sources and built-in lie detectors. It isn't like the movies or TV. The closest approximation to how reporters really work in the movies was All the President's Men or perhaps Absence of Malice.
The worst depictions are anything that involves someone doing something other than spending 90% of your day tracking down phone numbers and trying to figure out what government-document-speak means.
Posted by: Jesse | September 14, 2008 8:10 PM